The Philosophy of Shadow the Hedgehog | An In-Depth Character Analysis 

Shadow is the embodyment of the metaphysical idea of "don't kill the part that's cringe, kill the part that cringes"

Despite working for GUN in 06, the version we see of our favorite hedgehog honestly is his best version. This sorta I do my own thing, but usually that's the right thing to do really shows him as a fully realized character. Especially when confronted by Mephilis throughout his campaign. The number of attempts Mephilis makes to pull Shadow towards darkness, showing him that he'll be sealed away when Iblis wipes out the world and betrayed doesn't sway him at all. Right after seeing it he simply say's that it's absurd and should it come to that, he'll deal with it then. And of course the final fight against Mephilis the "If humanity chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have" still gives me chills. To him, it doesn't matter who is on his side and who isn't, all that matters is that he gets to make the choice at the end of the day. And let's not even go into how fiercely loyal to him Rouge is in that same game, literally telling him that even if the whole world is against him, she'll support him. Sonic 06, for being a terrible broken damn near unplayable Alpha Build of an unfinished game, gives Shadow probably his best story even if it is a little off the wall and kinda ridiculous. It shows us that this is who he is after burying his past and looking ahead to the future. Honestly a younger me liked him because edgy introvert with few friends appealed to me, but older me loves this guy that doesn't necessarily care about the outcome so long as HE ultimately is given the choice in the first place.

Bro, Shadow is an amazing character, I’d go so far as to say that he’s the best character, he got done dirty in that pole. He’s also such a sad character and also very interesting. ALSO ID LIKE TO FIX A MISTAKE THAT PEOPLE NEVER SEEM TO FIND, SHADOW DIDN’T DIE EGGMAN SAVED HIM, I THINK THE ONLY REASON PEOPLE SAY THAT SHADOW DIED IS BECAUSE THATS WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, BUT THANKS TO HIS POPULARITY HE WAS BROUGHT BACK. Just wanted to put that out there.

Ah. The second time I've watched this. I love your philosophical takes on these characters and how in-depth you go. I would love to see how you see Shadow's character given his development in 06. I've seen many, myself included, consider Shadow coming full circle with his character with 06 considering it depicts the fear of the future rather than clinging to the past that Shadow had been going before. AH! I love how you added that ending of Shadow's story from 06 at your ending 😍🥰

I can't believe I got drawn in thanks to this thumbnail, thinking "damn that sounds really interesting but kinda crazy" and then you fucking delivered dfgldg Seriously this video was such good brain food The sonic franchise and especially Shadow are so dear to me, because there are so many complex characters and with Shadow you managed to show me even more in depth stuff about his character that really does make a lot of sense! Your short explanations shown on the video to the philosophies were really appreciated(because I love thinking about philosphical themes but it is demanding and more often then not you don't understand everything fully, so the core essence of it does help a lot with further explanations) and especially the lyrics interpretations! I kinda like Throw it all away more know ngl I am still amazed by how eye opening and good this video was + the amount of depth you get out of a singular character I love this franchise so much Bless the youtube algorithm for showing me this video, you did an excellent job! Can't wait for the next analysis!

actually, finishing the video, your mention of the ubermensch is quite literally the absurdist ideal mental state. You don't actually become better in any way, it's just being able to push forwards in life while not allowing yourself to live in ignorance about the pointlessness of life, and being able to find your own reason to live. The concept of absurdism does a good job of not glorifying the concept of having that philosophy, and acting like thinking that way makes you better than other people, which neitches description of the ubermensch heavily implies. (and is very wrong, if that's not obvious, thinking a certain way doesn't make you better than the other people who don't)

Dude that was such a nice video, good work, the way you explained everything was amazing, the philosophy and emo hedgehog similarities, i enjoyed 🦔🦔🦔

I don't think Sonic is unrealistic, I think he is an example of a very rare sort of person. These people often go unnoticed until times get so very bad and they become more noticeable. Shadow is realistic too of course just he is common, represents many. And there's nothing wrong with that either.

25:24 Gotta disagree on this comment here. I'll admit it seems pretty backwards that Shadow would be working for the people who essentially ruined his life, but I interpreted it as him using this higher position of power to do so much good for the people on Earth, including making sure that what happened on the Ark never happens to anyone else. Plus I'm pretty sure G.U.N would want to stay in Shadow's good graces after he singlehandedly saved the world and knowing what he's capable of.

So there's a minor flaw in describing Shadow as an Ubermensch and specifically using Nietzsche's definition. Which is that the Ubermensch has nothing to do with actual strength. He did not believe the Ubermensch was physically, racially or genetically superior. Instead saying they had to be intellectually and philosophically superior, Shadow's focus on his physical capabilities limits his link to this. Meaning that you need to ignore his physical strengths, and focus on his intellect. While Shadow is intelligent, he has shown little indication of creating new values for the world. Simply doing your own thing is not enough to be an Ubermensch, you must rise above the values and ideals of old. As Shadow works for G.U.N he does not do this. Meaning that Shadow is not an Ubermensch by Nietzsche's definition

Literally Sega LOVES make a Sonic character at their peak, (Sonic in black knight, Amy in sonic adventure, and Tails (Adventure 1) and they just ruined their characters in the future. They did fix Sonic, Amy, and Tails in Frontiers. But with the new Sonic x Shadow Generations, i hope they fix Shadow there

Proudly wear my shadow the hedgehog symbol around my neck every day

Have you ever considered making a video about the philosophy of Sonic, or do you think that the videos you've been making (and probably will make) about his character cover most of your thoughts on the topic?

It wasn’t a twist event shadow was the mastermind behind the arc crashing that’s why he let sonic beat him in their final duel it didn’t matter he had already put forth the plans

I cant believe Im about to watch this thing 😅

23:27

man i hope they write him good in the movie, he is really a complex character that doesn't deserves the bad writing he had over the years

I think Shadow working with GUN actually kinda makes sense. He let go of his past, right? After his own game, he fights for his own beliefs, not only for Maria's promise. So seeing that GUN has changed after many years, Shadow decides to become a part of it to help the world better. Yeah, this is the same organization that killed Maria and many other people in the ARK, but that's the point. He let go of his hatred, his past.

Fun fact: An achievement/trophy for beating Last Story in Sa2 is called "Beyond Good And Evil" and the trophy pops just after Shadow sacriface when Rouge asks "Where is Shadow?". So you might just see how Sega/Sonic Team is seeing Shadow.

The thing is Shadow isn’t all about pride and rage. He just is written wrongly these days. He is calm and collected. He listens to others when needed, he only uses his ego when needed too.

5:00 I took "Stars don't twinkle, Moon doesn't shine" as a reflection of how Shadow feels about existence. I don't think he has this essentialist scientific view of things, he has a semi-nihilistic hate for the world since it took Maria away from him. He's blinded by the despair he experienced and can't see the beauty the world still holds.

Shadow working for GUN is actually an amazing direction!! He joined to help stop the corruption from within and it shows how he no longer lets his trauma define his life.

This is a good video along with characters in depth. Shadow is not a villain, not a antihero, and he’s not an edgelord. He’s a hero with a dark story who grew into one of the best redeemable characters.

I think shadow working with GUN isn't a bad thing because it's like what you were saying about how, "Shadow is letting go of his past," It's Shadow not letting the past actions of a GUN from over 50 years ago determine is his feelings towards a GUN in the present. In Shadow the Hedgehog, you can see how the President regrets what the government did to Shadow and the Ark, hopes to rebuild a better future together. I think that Shadow working with GUN is him acknowledging how the GUN has changed since the past 50 years and probably for the better. But I also think that shadow working with GUN is sorta his silent way of keeping an eye on them while also welcoming the changes to it. That way he can be there to prevent any tragedies like the Ark incident from happening ever again.

My favorite quote for shadow in sonic 06 is “If the world becomes my enemy I will fight like I always have.” It really telling that shadow doesn’t care what world thinks of him he will faith in himself and his friends.

This is literally one of the best sonic related videos ive ever seen. Videos like this are what this franchise needs, truly. Awesome work man.

I don't remember Shadow having amnesia in SA2. But I do remember is that Gerald altered Shadow's memories to mislead him into thinking Maria wanted him to get revenge. Or does this fall under amnesia? Anyways, neat video.

13:27 it didn’t undo his journey necessarily. Shadow had amnesia in Shadow The Hedgehog, due to his fall back to the planet. The gameplay ability to kill who you want is due to Shadow not knowing *any of them,* and thus does not know who to trust. In Sonic Adventures 2, he didn’t actually have a case of amnesia. What happened instead was his pod was later recaptured by G.U.N, and his father, Gerald Robotnik, was forced to continue working on him up until his execution by firing squad. Furious and driven mad by the entire situation, Gerald instead took advantage of the situation and surgically altered Shadow’s mind and memories so he would come to the conclusions he did. (I doubt, had he been sane, Gerald Robotnik ever would have done this, as Shadow remembered a loving father (a now non canon Archie part showed a frayed Ai disc made by Gerald and Maria, created out of thought for Shadow’s long lifespan, and showed Gerald as such) and I doubt a loving father would alter his only living child’s memories so he comes to the conclusion murder-suicide is the only answer) Thus, Shadow’s amnesia in STH is the only actual case of him having amnesia. It doesn’t erase his progress.

I always saw more in Shadow than just edgyness. He's a tragic hero who does what he believes is right. After watching your video I gain more understanding who Shadow is and what his motivations are. Tbh the song "All hail Shadow" isn't so wrong. He is the ultimate lifeform but he doesn't want praise. He just wants the power over his own life and to protect the world.

Wow, very good video but I do want to address some of your points here. When you criticize Shadow "being stripped of his character growth from Sonic Adventure 2 and that he has amnesia again" First of all he never had amnesia in SA2, Gerald Robotnik just altered his memories, heck he had anything BUT amnesia because there's a scene where he tells Rouge whether if his memory is fake or not its all that he has. In the beginning of his game he's almost a TOTAL blank slate, all he remembers is Maria being shot and he even says in that cutscene he doesn't know who she is. 2nd of all, you do know his amnesia is the REASON why Shadow acts differently from the ending of SA2, right? Like that's the POINT, he doesn't remember who he is and therefore doesn't know about his promise to Maria. As for Gerald making the deal with Black Doom when you say it was a dumb thing to do. When you suggested it was possibly out of desperation, yes. The whole point Gerald even participated in creating Shadow was to gain access to immortality to make a cure for Maria's health. So yeah the point was that he was so desperate to save Maria, Gerald LITERALLY made " A Deal with the Devil". And that gives a perfect explanation of why G.U.N raided the Ark in the first place, it was a consequence of him seeking help from the devil and causes his downfall. But Gerald wasn't completly naive though, he had no intention of keeping his end of the bargain at all, which is WHY he designed the Eclispe Cannon to shoot the Black Comet when it came back. (Explaining the cannons purpose in the first place) As for Black Doom and Shadow, given his Satan like design Black Doom also resembles Shadows inner Demons tempting him towards evil. As for Shadow working with G.U.N in Sonic 06 it's supposed to show how Shadows really moved on from his past and is focused on the now and the future.

Very enjoyable essay. There are also many parallels to be found in one of Nietzsche's other works "On the Genealogy of Morality". Here he elaborates on the concept of ressentiment, the motivation for an inversion of (moral) values; good and evil. As far as I am familiar with the lore, Shadow's character is also defined by his jeaulousy of Sonic's free spirit and a carefree life. Shadow uses his (self-imposed) responsibilities and goals (which limit his freedom) to jusitfy his actions and raise himself above Sonic. Which at the same time inverts what he actually values (freedom) into something lesser, and raises duty as a new virtue to strive for.

YES. I’ve always loved shadow but when someone asked me why, I couldn’t give an answer. I knew there was some deep psychological itch that he scratched but couldn’t articulate it. This video just articulated it for me. Thank you

This is why the Archie comics version of Shadow (pre-reboot, at least) is my favorite interpretation of the character. Archie actually takes the time to show us who Shadow is beyond all the brooding and edgelordiness, focusing mostly on his moments of genuine kindness, compassion, and even vulnerability. He isn’t a one-note character, he’s layered. And I love that.

This analysis is amazing!! This type of video is one of many reasons why I love Sonic so much! It's no wonder so many people love "simple blue hedgehog" because under that simplicity is something much more complex and deep, that allows us to understand ourselves :-) Thank you for doing it

I think something to add to this is that Sonic is the thing (The Ultimate Lifeform,) Shadow was supposed to be They're both heroes in different ways, and I think any clash between them is an interesting dilemna. I'm reminded of Shadow's first appearance in the IDW comics, and his fight with Knuckles in Sonic Universe though those are less philosophical

I honestly found the reveal of Gerald working with Black Doom makes sense when you consider the fact that from an outsiders perspective, alongside that one level involving rampage artificial chaos creatures, Gerald sold out humanity to a race of alien invaders. GUN had every reason to intervene and shut down the Ark. Although thinking about it, it probably played out a lot like the Gundam: Witch from Mercury Prologue. So yeah, Shadow is a Char clone without the mask, and Sonic is Amuro without the whining.

The thing is, the definition Shadow gives himself in terms of who he is matches up perfectly with the definition Gerald and Maria gave him. That definition being that Shadow is a protector. All the other definitions, like Black Doom's definition, were given to Shadow because that's what they _wanted_ Shadow to be like. Gerald and Maria's definition describe who Shadow _actually_ is. And that should only be natural, since they knew Shadow the most back then. And besides, Shadow is simply a good person deep down.

Shadow is just what his name implies and eventually became more than what he was told he is. I also just loved his insane confidence and somewhat bratty behavior. I crushed on shadow as a kid not fully understanding Shadows character but it is true he feels more relatable than Sonic. I couldn't stand Sonic other than him being my favorite color because he doesn't come across as someone that could be achievable through the same real life acts. I get it, it's a game and has to be mostly a suspension of disbelief to make believe these fantastical things can happen. But with Shadow, his story feels so relatable, so sad, terrible, kinda ugly (thinking of the moment from SA2 where Gerald is asked to speak his last words before being shot and killed before a camera), and just so gosh darn dramatic. shadow is a beast of chaos of his own design, and it is awesome.

Wow, this video is great! I've never really thought about Shadow too deeply so this was a very interesting dive into his character. But real quick, being the huge Sonic nerd that I am, I just feel the need to quickly point something out lol: 6:05 - While it's not really possible to know for sure what Shadow's exact motivations were for his actions in SA2, it is heavily implied in Gerald Robotnik's video that plays during the last story (and I would argue basically confirmed based on other factors) that he reprogrammed Shadow to become vengeful, probably purposefully inducing his amnesia by taking out the part of Maria's final moments where she tells him to protect the world. The wording is a little unclear, but that's how I've always interpreted it. Alright, that's it. Anyways, great work! Keep it up man.

Yes, Shadow is working for G.U.N. in 06. Looks like someone didn't play the Extra mode in Shadow the Hedgehog, where he's training to join G.U.N.

Of course his own game undid his development in SA2, he lost his memories. Even though you could argue that Sonic Heroes is the one that undid it. You know what? I'm gonna say it, Shadow at the end of his own game and 06 is superior to SA2.

06 was the last game where the writer Shiro Maekawa was writing Shadow. Shadow was basically his child. So that game was the last where Shadow was in character. Why he joined GUN of all organizations? I think because of two links. His friend Rouge, and his former "enemy" the GUN Commander. The Commander also joined GUN despite he had the exact same history with Maria as Shadow. The Commander joined the GUN most likely without knowing they were the ones to kill Maria, and that they were the ones to perpertrate the murder of people on The Ark. But after the events of Shadow the Hedgehog, he learned the truth. And I'm willing to bet that he went personally to apologize to Shadow, promising him that he will find out everyone who was responsible for the events 50 years ago if they still live, clean the GUN of any and all corruption... And then he offered him a job. For Shadow to continue to do what the Commander hoped to achieve by joining GUN himself. To assure better future. Even if Shadow put the past behind him, I am pretty sure he didn't put behind him the sentiment of Maria. Just because he will not let himself be reminded of her death every so often, I don't think he'd choose to work against the betterment of the world, or against the wish that people should have a chance to live happily. I think he no longer is nihilistic. I think what you get wrong is that Shadow is arrogant and bases his personality around his power. Shadow is not Vegeta. He only acted like this in SA2 to bring Sonic off ballance, and because he knew he was on a self destructive quest and nothing really mattered. But ever since then he was much more thoughtful. And even acknowledged when sometimes there were more powerful characters and entities than him. Shadow never called anyone coward like what the modern writers make him do. And didn't constantly bring up his superiority. One of the things that was supposed to happen after he said "Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog" was that he didn't call himself "the Ultimate Lifeform" again. 06 is a long game, one third is focused on Shadow, and he doesn't call himself "the Ultimate Lifeform" once. Only Mephiles calls him that. Because it's that part of his past he let go. The "Ultimate Lifeform" is a label for his designated purpose he moved away from. And the name for pursuit of the absolute power - something he doesn't strive for, and even rejected in ShtH game. If Shadow has any weaknesses, it's not arrogance or that his personality is based around his power. His weakness is the scar the death of Maria left in him. He was only a week or few weeks old when she died. He's not ready to have his friends die on him again if he can help it. That's why he goes on solo missions or mentions his power sometimes. It's just an excuse he can act alone and not risk his comrades lives. Shadow does have friends, contrary to what the people that misrepresent his character want you to believe. Watch the 06 cutscenes. There are some of the most beautiful moments when it comes to Shadow and his relationship to his friends. Their relationships are portrayed with skill and subtlety. And it's all organic and natural. Unlike the stories surrounding Sonic and his friends, which are stilt, stiff, contrived and we are supposed to understand them as friends just because they are defined as friends on default. Yet these "dark" characters have much more deserved and well portrayed friendship. The true sequel to the plot threads to 06 was never made. A sequel that would explore how GUN turned on Shadow once again, and his friendship with Rouge and Omega was truly tested. And so is his relationship with the world that is for some reason bent on treating him as the enemy. Maekawa alluded this story. Yet we never got anything as deep ever again.

Shadow doesn’t have amnesia “again”. In SA2, he had the professor’s programming interfering with his memories. He only has amnesia in his own game, due to falling from space. And probably, because as ultimate life form as he may be, his mind is still a thing of human design, so probably not as resilient as that of a natural creature.

This was a pretty comprehensive and well researched video! I liked it a lot, the depth of Shadow's character is insane and I like the way you interpret it. This was a very well made video, and I love the work ya put into it.

I was watching this video and you said, "Now only if there was a song that perfectly encapsulated all of this..." And at that moment I add happened and... "At BK, have it your way. You rule." Pure gold.

Sonic 06 did a good job giving Shadow a proper villain to showcase his personal growth and struggles

another song id like to throw in that i wish was explored is "The Chosen One", from "Shadow the Hedgehog". Its SUCH a good song! and i think it dives into shadows character very well!

(Sigh) Shadow the Ultimate Lifeform is stuck in the miserable world with Sonic the Hedgehog (himself) and Rouge the Bat forever. He's not gonna have real friends, family, love, friendship, kindness or something... and never will. Because he's gonna be an edgelord, loner, and Sonic's enemy/rival forever. He's just not ready for the world. Nothing is gonna change him. 😔It's over. I blew it. I really blew it.😔

One thing I'd like to add Shadow works with Gun its not the same as working for Gun, just like helping them at the end of SA2.

I love Shadow , hes my favorite character lol ive even made fan fiction of him and team dark great video ❤ you talked about his character perfectly

IM JUST SAYING SHADOW WOULD HAVE KILLED EGGMAN IN THE FIRST GAME

It bothers me so many people trash on his character in his own game. Shadow from SA2 and Shadow the game might be physically the same, but they are essentially separate characters. They don't even directly confirm if he got his memories back at the end of the game. He put everything behind him because he wanted nothing to do with his shitty past. All the non canon stories, in one way or another, all represent what shadow is NOT supposed to become. Shadow the game isn't perfectly written by any means, but it honestly had one of the most profound and interesting stories in the franchise. Give me shadow the hedgehog over ANYTHING from the 2010s era oof. So if anyone prefers Shadows story in sa2 only, then this is the best way to look at it

Who knew a cartoon hedgehog could have this much depth.

Becoming an unbermensch is more about fulfilling a power trip was the best statement of the video imo

I loved this video! Shadow is a character that caught my attention from his first appearance and still does to this day, he has been misrepresented sometimes but we know the real shadow, independent, lives by his own rules extremely loyal to those he cares for Best character in the Sonic universe! I loved the short philosophy lesson too! Great video!

I just wanna say, I don't believe "I am all of Me" is at all cringy. I'm not sure where that even comes from. I think Crush 40 channelling heavy metal influence for the song fit Shadow really well. Not to mention, as a guitarist myself, there's some cool riffs in there. So what's cringy about it? Also, the darker concepts Shadow's character explores are important for us to consider. I think getting lost in all the artificial "obligations" we've put on ourselves as a species is a trap. I think existentialism isn't some horribly dark view of our lives, and can actually be very freeing. By acknowledging the fact that our existence IS so small and fleeting gives us the opportunity to create something meaningful from that blank slate. Living only by made up human concepts is limiting, and is a big part of why we've plateaued and even regressed in many ways; This idea that we're the best thing since multicellular life's inception having made us arrogant and self serving. One thing I love about art like music and games is the illustration of such concepts; Sharing eye opening ideas through the lens of an easier to swallow format as a means to help others through this minefield of a society we're trapped in.

i loved this video! glad to see some sort of positive light on 05, i love that game's story.

I feel Shadow is a hard character to depict properly. Portraying him as a one-dimensional edgelord is definitely lazy writing but making him too redeemable (if that makes sense) isn’t any better - an impotent thing to remember about Shadow is that he fights for what *he* wants regardless of whether it is good or bad but does have a good heart deep down. I think a major reason why the modern games have been so bad at depicting him properly is because most of the supporting cast have been pushed to the side and therefore there hasn’t been a good chance for the writers to portray his personality right.

2:19 3 days is ROOKIE NUMBERS. Come back when you haven't touched a plant in months.

0:46 this is the same reason people like Vegeta over Goku. Yes i know its a different franchise but the creative minds behind the characters in sonic already have been open about how much DBZ influenced them. Makes sense why most young boys like myself was team Vegeta and Shadow

One, extremely obvious, comparison of Shadow,is Vergil from DMC. My man got trauma on top of trauma, and his coping mechanism is be powerful, not necessarily by destroying humanity, but if it is necessary, he would erase the entire world for it. There is also 'I am all of me', I dont care if it's cringe that song is a great song, I love that Shadow is going to be what he chooses to, not what he is made for. You can say this video surely have a.. Nietzche public. *Gottem*

This... This is why I love shadow he's a beautifully tragic character I've never seen a more beautifully written character I love and always will love his character I am OBSESSED with this hedgehog he is THE BEST CHARACTER the DEFINITION of best character and yeah sonic is great and everything I wanna have the same free spirit I love sonic but he's not the most realistic character that's what makes shadow so great! He's realistic he's realistically beautiful... I have never seen a character this beautifully crafted shadow is THE best character i love shadow I would DIE for him

Great video! I think its a shame how so many beloved characters these days change hands (writers) so often, leading to inconsistencies in their characterizations and development. Making it hard or impossible to really know who these characters really were ever supposed to be. BUT With it comes the opportunity for us to speculate and theorize and glean inspiration for our own works!

I legitimately view Shadow as an actual role model for myself. When I came up with a list of top 10 role models, he made my list. Your video helped me understand exactly why I feel this way. Thank you. You put it into words in a accurate way. That quote at the end of your video / at the end of his story in sonic 06, really summarizes and nails exactly what I believe.

5:51 "Nihilism is the rejection of all objective truth" This is not true. It is the rejection of subjective truths born from faith or hope. Not sure if you said this in error but I feel this is worth pointing out.

So nice to meet a felllow Christian Sonic fan with a philosophical background. :) I studied Nietzsche and other modern philosophers for years, so fun to see their thoughts blended with a game franchise I've always admired.

I like how shadow just does his own thing. He isn't defined by good or evil. He isn't like a sonic who will always join the good side without questioning wether what he's doing is really good. Neither will he be like eggman who will jist commit acts of evil without thinking about what his end goal is. When shadow is presented with the 2 teams of good and evil he's a very flexible charachter who chooses whatever he thinks is best for what his goals are and if no side fits he just makes his own side and does whatever he thinks is good, be it good for himself or others it's his to decide but deciding any of this isn't always easy which you can also see in the way they built him up as a charachter

06 has good Shadow Characterization as well

I've been addicted to philosophy for about 6 years now, and all throughout my childhood I've been a fan of Shadow. This video is... a big chunk of me

Both Scourge the Hedgehog from Archie and Surge the Tenrec from IDW are similar to Shadow's views at least on what their purpose in life is.

Shadow is kinda like Mewtwo

Heads up: That popularity poll of 2018 is INSANELY biased. You can't vote on your favourite characters when the poll in question only gives you six options out of what should be double that, AT LEAST. My favourite character is Shadow. But my second and third are Silver and Blaze. Sonic ranks fourth. Amy and Knuckles rank bottom of my top 10, and Tails isn't even in my top 20. Just as an example. The poll is stupid and I hate it to no end because it doesn't actually reflect anything. It's laced with confirmation bias because SEGA is too scared to branch out and explore their mascots, and thus sticks to their original classic setup… plus the one guy that breaks the status quo by putting a sledgehammer to it. Their tentative inclusion of the likes of Rouge (Prime & Dream Team) and Cream (Dream Team) in more recent media likely comes from pressure to be more gender inclusive. I absolutely welcome Rouge and Cream being freaking relevant again, but again: SEGA didn't even bother asking if fans like them because they're stuck in their confirmation bias polls. Ask anyone who their top THREE characters are, and you'll probably find a large portion of people saying their favourites consist of some combination of Sonic, Shadow and Blaze, or even Rouge. Blaze is stupid popular - why wouldn't she be, she's a pyrokinetic princess from another dimension with the ability to go Super, the ONLY female character able to do that - and yet, she hasn't had ANY relevant presence since Sonic Rush Adventure (and I see the people who points at Team Sonic Racing and my answer is this: Would you say that's a mainline Sonic game with any real RELEVANCE to the franchise? No? I thought so). Rouge hasn't been relevant since freaking 06 before Prime came along and breathed life back into her, with Dream Team following not long after Sorry for the rant. I just… GODS! I hate that 2018 poll. It doesn't tell jack about anything.

This video was perfectly sarcastic and you earned a sub 🖤 your humor is great, thank you

I feel like shadow having amnesia again in shadow the hedgehog is basically due to the fact he plummeted twoards earth in the last game, i mean, a fall that bad has to do something right? I know hes immortal so he survived the fall, but that doesn't mean he can't get brain damage.

The line that embodies Shadow the best, IMO mind you, is "If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight like I always have"

Being satisfied with your own power and achievements is the modern and refined equivalent of the Ubermensch. You don't need some antiquated father figure to hand down your purpose from on high unless you're weak-willed, weak-minded, or both. You are better than that-everyone is. Freedom comes with struggle, but understanding yourself and what you really need in life is all that matters in the end. Whether it's love, company, art, discipline, or something else, it's out there and it's up to you to make it yours. Living a fantasy devised by terrified fools riddled with magical thinking will only drag you down with them. Speaking in a more grounded light, society is of course important and its rules are valuable. Casting aside everyone else's wishes for your own is foolish and selfish. However, it doesn't take some holy text riddled with fallacies and mystical nonsense to tell you that. You just need to get over yourself a bit. The freedom that Shadow is portrayed to have in this video is not at all tied to his ego, that stems from his own personality and being a cool and edgy character meant to be marketed toward a certain demographic. That warning segment in the video is easily the worst and least tonally consistent part because of this misunderstanding. Everything else-even what I haven't mentioned here for brevity's sake-was enjoyable and interesting in perspective. Thanks for making this. I hope you get over that Christian nonsense someday.

I recommend using the original/real japanese stories of the sonic games and not english ones i understand you maybe dont know japanese and that is why you dont use them but windii has translated lot of the japanese cutscenes. (unfortunately most of her videos were deleted but there are some repost i have made a playlist of most the reposts on my channel.) but other than that good video. There are also a few retranslated mods you can use. And the voice acting is just way better.

If the world chooses to become my enemy then I will fight as I always have. - BANGER

"Now if only there was a song that perfectly encapsulates this." Legit thought you were gonna play All Star

a great video however nihilism isnt a rejection of all truth but rather a truth in that it acknowledges that life has no intrinsic meaning but rather each individual ascribes meaning to their own life, which ultimately still fits shadows narrative

Shadow and the GUN Commander reconciled in the end of Shadow The Hedgehog (2005). In Expert mode, there's dialogue of the Commander apologising for everything he and GUN have done, and inviting Shadow for dinner to meet his granddaughter. Assumedly this is how Shadow ended up joining but... I wouldn't blame anyone for missing it in the game lol

Shadow. He not a villain or a hero he do what he can to suffer or not Friends or foes there no point of both who is with or not . Creature a new path or not Consequences all path. [ having a stroke or not you see ] Become what you are. Life have many door.

When you realize that Live and Learn is a song about Shadow

Okay, I had a lot of skepticism when diving into this, but you DO have a very good point there. I've studied stuff like Hermeticism for a while, and Shadow's four colors are Black, White, Red and Gold. These correspond to the four colors in Hindu cosmogony, and also to the symbolic synthesis of Gold in Western Alchemy: Nigredo, Albedo and Rubedo stand for the works (practically conquests) in Black (mortality), White (eternal life) and Red (power) respectively, Gold being the state of spiritual perfection. The Nazi flag also contained these three colors for possibly a similar reason - a complex symbolism of striving to become superhuman, or even godlike. The fact that Shadow "turns gold" and "does the right thing" in the end seems quite intentional in this regard as well. Even the Chaos Emeralds may refer to Cauda Pavonis (tail of the peacock) in their many colors. Regarding the ending: In numerology, the number 11 is a master number expressing spiritual transcendence, so for example 10 as a number of completeness, and 1 as the number of singularity, practically representing "one above all", practically God, or whatever ultimate master of all may there be. I didn't think I'd write ANYTHING under a Sonic-related video, let alone something this profound.

I believe that what you are implying is that no man is good nor are they evil. Shadow is a character which struggles with good and bad, he wants to do something that he believes is good while knowing that it can be bad. He is trying to cope with the evil that he faced with evil, there are many people who does so but we should never succumb to evil even when we might have done so we should try to live a harmless enough life. Emphasis on enough.

There actually is a gameplay path that can be Shadow the Hedgehog’s true canon path. Note: Assumes multiple acts, the path with the most clues and best sets up Last Story, Expert Mode is cannon. Westopolis (Hero, self defense cause aliens attack first) -> Lethal Highway (Dark, is Act 2 to Westopolis. GUN wins Battle of Westopolis but loses Battle of Digital Circuit and Glyphic Canyon. -> Prison Island (hero, pursuing potential lead) -> The Doom (hero, is Prison Island Act 2). -> Cryptic Castle (hero, via expert mode) -> Mad Matrix (hero, Act 2 of Cryptic Castle, pursuing potential lead). Eggman Empire wins Battle of Sky Troops, GUN wins Battle of Central City at high cost. -> Iron Jungle (normal or hero, Shadow hears the lie) -> Lost Impact (Hero, Act 2 of Iron Jungle) -> Space Gadget (hero, Act 3 of Iron Jungle). Towers confronts Shadow at Ark -> Final Haunt.

Just got recommended this after Sonic 3 and listening to the Lost Tracks of Shadow the Hedgehog so I'm here for it all. Great video dude ! 👍🏾

😅 I'm confused but in my eyes shadow is a dark hero. The type to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal. And I think he wants to save the world in his own way. Not caring if he looks good or evil, if his WAY of doing it is right or wrong. Basically a fusion of eggman and Sonic in a way I guess.

I feel like his characterization in 06 is pretty good too. It's a good way to show how far he's come. He's an extremely mature character. I feel like it's the last time sega gets him right😂

Hi

Hey man just subbed! This video is so awesome and honestly your humor is great too. Shadow is such a bad ass character, it drives me nuts how the newer sonic games have either left him out or butchered his character entirely.

I know that the video is from more than a year ago, but I wanted to ask if you knew about the existence of the unused songs for the Shadow the Hedgehog game, honestly they give a lot more to talk about in my opinion and they hit harder than the songs that you mentioned in the video. for example "Broken" or "All of me" from Sins of a Divine Mother were planned to be in the game but were replaced at the last minute due to problems contacting the band. Even though they were not used in the end, they are still Shadow songs and personally the best ones to analyze.

.. Shadow Generations having no guns is such a turn off lol (but he has wings?? wtf)

Say whatever about the Shadow game, but it lead to his character in 06

One of the reasons I liked about Shadow because he makes a compelling rival to Sonic both character and power. By motive he’s a good person (friend even) but by methods and choices he’s villainous. I personally think he should be a Tweener so he can serve a potential ally and a fierce opponent to both sides.

Nothing like watching a rabbi video at 1:24 am😅

This was great. I enjoyed watching and hearing your thoughts.

Here after last tailer is dropped. Still hoping to see they'd also show his kind/compassionate side in the movie. It will be bummer if they won't. Because his personality has space to develop.

Shadow the Hedgehog gets better characterization in Sonic Heroes than Shadow the Hedgehog, you see him grappling with the loss of his memories after falling to earth and his existential crisis of potentially being a clone or android handled well, and establishing a trusting relationship with Rouge and Omega. It's just crammed in to a shorter run time because they needed to have stories for teams Hero, Rose, and Chaotix. Shadow the Hedgehog throws out that character growth and essentially treats it like Sonic Heroes didn't happen, which is understandable, but unfortunately now having the entire stage to himself is more of a detriment than a blessing with writers having to fill the entire games runtime with his angst, which IMO only served to reduce him to the edgy caricature seen and memed about nowadays. The ending was solid though, and Sonic 06 did a good job of working with what both Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog built for his story. With Frontiers' success and the new writing for Sonic being so well received, I think it might be high time for Sega to take another crack at putting Shadow in the spotlight.

Fire ass video brother good work 🫡